


Harry Potter and the House of Serpents

by What_a_Winchester_Wants



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bullying, Gen, Granger bashing, Slytherin!Harry, Weasley Bashing, manipulative!Dumbledore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-15 22:26:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11815428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/What_a_Winchester_Wants/pseuds/What_a_Winchester_Wants
Summary: Harry Potter argued with the Sorting Hat saying 'Not Slytherin' but the Hat has his own ideas. Now Harry has to deal with the house of serpents, manipulative adults, and saving himself. Can he deal with the weight of everything that's been laid out on his shoulders?





	1. The Sorting Hat's Choice

**Author's Note:**

> I've transfered this from my ff.net account (awesome.jinger), and I'm currently working on all of them. Hope you enjoy.

‘Hmm,’ said a small voice in his ear. ‘Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There’s talent, oh my goodness, yes – and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that’s interesting ... So where shall I put you?’  
Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, ‘Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.’  
‘Not Slytherin, eh?’ said the small voice. ‘Are you sure? You could do great, you know, it’s all here in your head , and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that.’

‘Please, not Slytherin.’ Harry thought.

‘You know, this misconception that you have about Slytherin will not help you at Hogwarts. I know you don’t want to be in a dark house, but Slytherin really is the only place for you.’

With a sinking feeling, Harry sat through the hat’s rant.

‘I’ll have to stick with SLYTHERIN!”

The hall was silent as Professor McGonagall took the hat from Harry’s head. He stood and made his way over to the Slytherin table. When he was almost there, McGonagall called the next name (Turpin, Lisa) and the Ravenclaw table clapped at their new addition.

Harry was sitting next to Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini when Dumbledore stood up. The voices and whispered died down as he began to speak.

‘Welcome!’ he said. ‘Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!’

Harry was confused, to say the least, but seeing that most of the older students around him didn’t seem surprised, he kept his thoughts on how sane Albus Dumbledore was or wasn’t to himself.

There wasn’t much talking at the Slytherin table, and Harry had a feeling that it was because of him. Across from Harry was Malfoy, and on either side of him was Crabbe and Goyle. Harry was quite uncomfortable, and slightly queasy. He had just snubbed this boy because of his bad attitude and now he had to share a room with him for the next seven years?

Just then, a ghost floated up next to Malfoy.

‘Ah, the new Slytherin first years,’ he said in a raspy voice.

‘Hello, Baron,’ said an older girl from Harry’s left. ‘What did you get up to this summer? Have any trouble with Peeves?’

‘Hmm.’ Baron then looked around at the new first years and paused when his gaze came to Harry. ‘Mister Potter. Many things are changing. Not all of them are good, but many of them are. Keep your eyes, and your mind open.’

With that, Baron floated off, leaving the table of Slytherins gaping after him.

Harry Potter knew that he was going to have a difficult year ahead of him. Keeping his head down, he ate his food and followed the rest of the first years to the dungeons. Entering the common room, Harry could see a tall man, wearing all black, standing by the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

Their eyes met, and Harry could tell that not only was this man not to be messed with, it seemed that he absolutely hated him. There was something about the look in his eyes.  
Keeping his face blank, just like he did with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, Harry made sure that nothing he was thinking showed on his face.

If this man was anything like his uncle, he wouldn’t appreciate any cheek.

“Hello,” he said once everyone was standing in the room, and although his voice was quiet, everyone stopped talking. “Welcome to Slytherin House, whether you are new or returning. There are some rules that need to be gone over. The most important I will tell you, other than that, if you have any inquiries on what to do, ask one of the Prefects. Now, I am Professor Severus Snape. Not only am I your Head of House, but I am the resident Potions Master. You will treat me with respect or suffer the consequences.”

Professor Snape’s eyes bore into Harry’s for the last part of the sentence, as if he knew that Harry would be trouble.

“You will not argue with each other in public. If you have a disagreement, deal with it in the Common Room. Do not parade your problems in open air. To the other Houses, we represent a unified front, and any skirmishes in the public eye will be dealt with by myself. If it happens more than once, you will suffer my... displeasure. The other Houses like to think that being in Slytherin means that you are a Dark witch or wizard. That is not so. Those of Gryffindor House are most likely to confront any of you on this matter. That being said, make sure that you always have a group of at least three if you are going to wander the halls.”

Murmurs throughout the room sounded at this statement.

“Not everyone in this school is a good person, and while most think that only the most evil and vile go to Slytherin, there are those in other Houses that think that they are better than you. Some might try to harm you, and they will think that they have the right to do so. If there are any problems with this, bring it to the attention to the Prefects, and they will notify me. Notice that the groups of three are for your safety. The Prefects will tell you the rest tomorrow morning. All of you will be at breakfast, no excuses.”

With that, Professor Snape stalked out of the room, his cloak billowing behind him impressively. Harry watched him leave, dread filling his heart at the thought of what he had gotten himself into.


	2. Severus' Plans and Headmaster's Plots

Severus Snape strode down the corridor, making his way to the staff room. As there were rarely ever any problems on the first night (some students being too scared to ask for help) it was the perfect time for a staff meeting. Grumbling about incompetent students not getting sorted where they’re supposed to, Severus stepped into the dimly lit room and made towards a corner.

“Ah, Severus. I knew I’d run into you here,” said the Headmaster as he too walking into the room. With a flick of his wand, the lanterns on the wall gave of a brighter light, illuminating the face of a cheerful looking Albus Dumbledore. “Always a half hour early, no matter what.”

“What do you want this time, Albus,” Severus grimaced. He just knew that Harry Potter would be brought up. Not only by Albus, but likely by the rest of the staff as well.

“Well, as you know, the House of Potter has always been sorted into Gryffindor.” At this point, Severus felt a sliver of defeat coil in his chest. “I want to see if you would not only watch over Harry to make sure nothing happens, but to see why he was placed in Slytherin to begin with.”

“Is there something wrong with my House, Headmaster?” Severus asked stiffly.

“Of course not! Heavens, no. I just wanted to see whether his ambition would get in the way of his education.” Albus smiled as if that answered anything, but Severus noticed that the smile didn’t reach his eyes. In fact, he looked positively frightened. At least to Severus he did. Nobody else would have been able to pick up on it, but Severus had learned how to read his masters like an open book.

Severus sneered and remained silent. He knew that the Headmaster was terrified of another Dark Lord, and would never admit it. But there were some things that Albus never realized; things like not every evil or Dark witch or wizard goes into Slytherin, and that sometimes other Houses are more of a threat than Slytherin.

Severus had meant what he’d said to his students during his speech. They would be bullied just for being in his House, and nothing would ever be done about it.

And that was when Severus Snape got a brilliant idea. Harry Potter being in Slytherin could be a great asset. Severus didn’t think that just because he got sorted where he did made him evil. In fact he would have been worried if he’d have been sorted into Gryffindor where his prejudice could be developed. Ambition was not always a bad thing.

As he planned on what to do about Potter, more and more teachers appeared in the staff room. When the last of them arrived, Albus started the meeting.

“Ah, now that everyone is here, we can begin.” He sat in his usual chair and looked around. “So, first order of business. After watching the Prefects, do you think that they have done their job accordingly? Do you see any problems in the future?”

“Percy Weasley has done well, but I think that his attitude is going to stop some of the students from going to see him,” Minerva McGonagall said. Some of the teachers nodded their head. Severus rolled his eyes.

“Yes, well, as long as you keep an eye on him, I think it should be fine.” The rest of the meeting went like this. Dumbledore asking questions, and when someone answered he made reassurances without fixing it. After and hour of this, the topic of Harry Potter came up.

“And finally, Harry Potter,” Albus said. The teachers started to chatter to their neighbor like the students they teach. “I have already spoken to Severus, and he will make sure that Harry is at least safe in his own House. But I want him to make friends from other Houses as well, just so he can keep an open mind about somethings.”

In other words, Severus thought, you don’t want him to have the Pureblood stance on things.

“’e’s a pretty open minded kid already, ‘eadmaster,” Rubius Hagrid said. “When I took ‘im out to Diagon Alley, he didn’t judge me on my clumsiness or nothi’. He even helped me from that blasted Gringotts cart.”

“Yes, but as a child, his mind is very impressionable. His aunt may have taught him to have an open minds, but living with five other boys who have been raised differently than him may change his stance on many things.” The rest of the staff, barring any Slytherin teachers, nodded like this made any sense. “Now, there are some students I have in mind already. Some of them, I’ve heard he’s met on the train. I will make sure the Head of House knows which students will be meeting and where. If there are no more problems, I think I’m ready for bed.”

When no one said anything, the staff trailed out of the room and headed to their own quarters. As classes started the next day, most of the teachers were heading to bed. Severus, too, was headed to his quarters. He always got up early on the first day of classes to wake up the prefects so they, in turn, could wake up the first years.

Ignoring the look the Headmaster sent him, Severus made his way down the corridor. After he got to the dungeons and muttered the password to the empty wall in front of him, which then opened up to his rooms, he sat on the antique chair that sat by the fire.

After he switched sides, Severus had taken care to watch both of his masters. He made no illusions as to whether Albus was his master or not. Severus did what he was told to, or paid the consequences. As such, he knew how to read them better than anyone else, and he knew that Albus was worried about how Potter would turn out. Usually Severus wouldn’t put any stock into what Hagrid has to say, but if Potter actually was as open minded as he said, then Severus could make Potter see the way the Headmaster handled things to get the results the way he wants.

He went to sleep still making his plans, but he had no idea how Albus’ choices would turn Harry Potter against him in the near future.

A/N: Thanks for thee review, and I hope you like this new installment.


	3. House-Elves and Trouble Makers

A/N: Again, things from HP are in italics.

 

Harry Potter stared at the canopy above his bed, lost in thought. He knew that the rest of the boys in the dorm were asleep by the sounds of heavy breathing emanating from the closed curtains. He couldn’t understand the emptiness that he was feeling in his chest. It was as if the excitement of finding out magic was real disappeared over night.

Gathering his toiletries, Harry made his way to the boys’ shower room and washed up, making sure to hide his awful muggle clothes at the bottom of his trunk when he was done.

After getting dressed in his school robes with the Slytherin emblem on the front, Harry looked at the time. He always got up rather early, since he had to make meals for the Dursleys before they woke up, so it wasn’t really a surprise when he noticed that it was 5:36 am. He headed downstairs, noticing that the fire in the hearth looked as if it were just lit.

Harry looked around the room to get a better view than the one he did last night. As he was the only one up this early, he didn’t have to worry about looking like an idiot while gawking.

The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in carved chairs.

Harry got the feeling that it was supposed to be an underwater theme, what with being under the lake and low lighting.

With one last glance at his surroundings, Harry sat down in one of the chairs by the fire with his book on herbs and fungi. His stomach had just decided to make itself known.

“I wonder if I could get some food before breakfast starts,” Harry mused out loud. Before he knew it there was a pop, and one of the most disturbing creatures was in front of him.

“What can I’s be getting you, little Master?” the creature said in a squeaky voice.

“Excuse me if I’m being rude, but what exactly are you?” Harry asked quietly.

“Oh, young Master is so kind! Not wanting to be rude!” the creature exclaimed. “I’s be guessing that you’s grown up with muggles?”

“Yes, I’m quite new at this magic business. Do you have a name?” He was not quite ready for the loud squeak that came up from that questions, but he did his best to quiet down the being in front of him.

“Yes, young Master, my name is being Tabbles. I is being a house-elf, young Master, and it is my job to take care of the young charges of Hogwarts.”

“So you work here at Hogwarts?” Harry asked.

“Oh, no’s young Master, not work. I is being in service of Hogwarts. I is bonded to the castle.” Tabbles looked like he couldn’t think of anything worse than working for someone.

“So it’s like a servant thing?” When the house-elf nodded, Harry looked closer to Tabbles. “You don’t get mistreated do you? You like being here?”

“Oh, you’s is a king young Master, indeed! Yes! House-elves just loves being of help to wizards! If we weren’t bonded or serving, our magic wouldn’t work properly,” Tabbles said.

“As long as you’re happy, I guess.” Tabbles nodded at his statement, so he let it drop. “If I need any help with something, could I call on you, or other house-elves in service here?”

“Yes, little Master, we’s would love to help a kind Master such as you.” Big eyes started to water at the thought of helping this young Master. He was so much kinder than most of the little Masters and Mistresses who came to Hogwarts. Tabbles knew that the other house-elves would be very happy to help this young Master, just like she did. “Now, you’s be wanting to have food?”

Harry nodded and looked at his watch (Dudley’s cast-off) and sighed.

“I don’t want a lot, mind you. I’m not very hungry and I still want to eat at breakfast, but could you get me some toast and jam? And maybe a glass of orange juice?” The little elf disappeared with a pop, and within a minute, a plate with three pieces of toast with jam already on it and a glass of juice was sitting on the table next to him. Feeling foolish, Harry thanked Tabbles even though she wasn’t there.

He started on his book, which he hadn’t got to read because the Dursleys had locked hos things up right when he got home, and ate his toast in silence. When he was finished with his snack, the plate and goblet disappeared, presumably to the kitchens.

Harry continued to read, and didn’t notice when the section of wall leading to the dungeons opened and in stepped Professor Snape.

OooooOooooO

Severus Snape narrowed his eyes at the sight that he came to as he entered the Slytherin common room. He didn’t expect any students to be up at this hour, and so was slightly shocked – though he didn’t show it – when he noticed a small figure sitting by the fire, reading.

The he realized it was Potter and an angry flare of hate made itself known in his chest. He glanced at the clock on the mantle above the fire, which read 6:07, and glided forward towards the fire.

“And just what,” Severus said, and Harry’s head snapped up in surprise. “Do are you doing up this early in the morning, Potter?”

Harry clock, them back to his professor.

“I’m sorry if I’m not supposed to be in here this early, professor,” Harry said in his quiet voice. Severus narrowed his eyes again, thinking that the boy was up to something. “I woke up a bit early and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I decided to get ready for the day.”

Nothing on the boy’s face gave him away, but inside Harry was slightly frightened. This man was like Uncle Vernon, always blaming him for things even if it wasn’t his fault.

“Hmm, while it is not against the rules to be here, at any hour,” Severus said in his usual drawl. “You would do well to keep yourself out of trouble. Just because you’re used to being pampered at home, doesn’t mean that you’ll get out of punishments if you do something here.”

Again, Harry kept everything from showing on his face. He didn’t know why this professor hated him, but his home life would stay secret. Harry had a feeling that it would be used to ridicule him even more than he already was.

“Now, if you are done with wasting my time, I have things to do,” Severus said. He then proceeded to the fifth year Prefects, so they could then wake up the first years. All the while, Severus was thinking about Potter. He knew that the boy would be trouble, and judging from the innocent face he put up, he was going to be just like his father.

Harry on the other hand, was headed deeper into despair. Just yesterday, the man said that they had to represent a unified front. If Harry had any problems, he was supposed to be able to go to his head of house for help. But Harry knew that he would get no hep from the man.

 

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you like the new chapter.


	4. Prefects and First-Years

“Hello, first years. My name is Gemma Farley, and I am one of the fifth-year Slytherin Prefects. I am here to talk to you about more of the rules of Slytherin House.” Gemma Farley stood with the rest of the Prefects in front of a group of ten eleven- and twelve-year olds. “Now, Professor Snape has already said some of the things you need to know. We’re here to tell you the rest.”

“My name is Marcus Flint. I’m the sixth-year Prefect and Quidditch Captain. The first rule you’ll have to learn here is actually a quote. ‘The blood of the covenant is thinker than the water of the womb.’ Once you’re sorted into Slytherin, your family is Slytherin. That means that you support your family whenever possible.” Flint took a step back and another Prefect stood forward.

“Amrish Gupta, fifth-year, at your service,” the Prefect said. “You’ll find that there is a hierarchy in this house. For obvious reasons, you lot are on the bottom. But that does not mean that you are unimportant. You will each get a ‘mentor’ of sorts. That mentor will likely be in their fourth or sixth year. None of the Prefects will be your mentor, not will someone with irregular duties. Montague and Pucey, for example, won’t mentor anyone because they have Quidditch to deal with.”

Another Prefect stood forward.

“Hello. My name is Sylvia Melville. Sixth-year Prefect. Your mentor is your confidant. You will go to them if you need help with homework or if you have personal problems, and they are your first line of defence against bullies. If you can’t find your mentor, go to a Prefect. If you can’t find a Prefect, hope Professor Snape is in a good mood. Other than that, talk to your friends.”

“There is an inner-house points system divided by year. You can earn points by finishing your homework, which will be checked, or any outstanding services. Say Professor Snape needs help and you volunteer, that will gain you points. But detentions and being late to class will lose you points, as will confrontations outside of this common room. By the end of the semester, the year with the most points gets certain prises, like extra Galleons. The year with the least points will get clean-up duty for Professor Snape’s classroom when there are no detentions.” Gemma looked around at the young faces staring back at her.

When she saw the guarded expression on Harry Potter, her face softened.

“Alright, you lot, let’s go to breakfast,” she said. The Prefects stood either in front of or behind the group, making sure that nobody got left behind.

Harry made sure to remember which direction they were headed so he wouldn’t get lost in the future.

When they got to the Great Hall, Harry noticed how the dynamics of the Slytherin table worked. The seventh- and sixth-years sat in the middle of the table, with the lesser years filling in beside them. The first-years were stationed nearest to the High table.

“So, Harry Potter in Slytherin. What a surprise,” Malfoy drawled from across the table.

“Yeah, and here we thought you would go to Gryffindor like your parents,” a girl wit brown hair and light skin said. “Oh, where are my manners. My name is Pansy Parkinson.”

Harry nodded his head in her direction, but kept his eyes on his breakfast.

“And you already know Draco, obviously,” Pansy simpered while Malfoy sneered. “That’s Millicent Bulstrode. Theodore Nott. Daphne Greengrass. Blaise Zabini. Vincent Crabbe. Gregory Goyle. Tracey Davis.”

With each name called, Parkinson pointed to another first-year.

“We, of course, already know each other,” Parkinson smirked. “But I’m afraid none of us know you. What a shame.”

Titters followed that statement. Harry glanced around and saw that all of the other first-years were staring at him expectantly. Putting down his silverware, Harry addressed the group.

“Hello. My name is Harry Potter, and I’m sure it’s a pleasure to meet you all.” With that, he turned his attention back to his plate and continued eating.

“You know, I’d think that you’d have a better attitude now that you share a room with us,” Malfoy said. “We wouldn’t want any accidents to happen would we?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t associate with snobs or prats. And since you seem to fit in both of those categories, I’m sure I want nothing to do with you.” Harry turned to the rest of the group, who were all silent and watching the confrontation. “And if the rest of you are like that, you might as well not speak to me at all. I don’t care that I’m in Slytherin, or that my parents were in Gryffindor. I didn’t know them. But I’m not going to put up with any harassment from this house, which if you remember correctly, is supposed to be your new family.”

Silence followed those words, and Harry finished his breakfast. He didn’t really like the fact that most of his other house-mates were bullies, but he knew how to deal with them if they were.

Harry could see Professor Snape get up from the High table and head towards them, schedules in hand.

“These are your time tables for the year. Make sure you’re on time for your classes.” That last statement was directed at Harry, and the group of first-years seamed to know it. Professor Snape had apparently given the rest of Slytherin permission to make Harry’s life agony.


	5. The Wise and the Weasleys

The first day of class was horrible. For Harry, that is. Since all of Slytherin house had seen that Professor Snape insult Harry, they took it to mean that he was fair game. Although Harry didn’t know it, a lot of the children had reasons to hate him, or so they thought. With the downfall of You-Know-Who, many parents were sent to Azkeban, or lost their jobs, or their social standing.

So Harry Potter was miserable. He had been tripped three time, and once down a small flight of stairs. He’d been hexed, jinxed, and cursed, but never where anyone could see and it was always fixed before he left the room he was injured in. But Harry put up with it, just like he did at the Dursleys.

He knew that the other students were getting frustrated with him, because he didn’t go to any teachers, nor did it seem to bother him that they were picking on him. They didn’t know that he’d had worse. And of course, Professor Snape didn’t know for sure what was happening, but he had a pretty good idea. And he thought it was a fitting punishment. No one could guess that he never went to Madam Pomfrey’s, or didn’t get treatment for bruises that were sure to hurt, and Harry didn’t know that he was unconsciously casting a glamour over his body. To anyone else it would seem as if he were blemish free, and they wouldn’t see the bags under his eyes, or the paleness of his skin.

So, by Friday, Harry wished he’d never even heard of Hogwarts, or even magic. He’d taken to sleeping in the common room because the other boys would try to do something to him in his sleep, and since he was always an early riser, no one said anything about it. Every inch of his body that was easily covered by clothes was bruised, and Harry was pretty sure he had a small concussion.

It was with a heavy heart that Harry walked to his Potions class, by himself. The rest of the first-years had left him behind, not even trying to follow Professor Snape’s ‘three to a group’ rule. As he walked the corridors, he noticed there were still people pointing and whispering about him.

Turning the corner, he didn’t notice a group of fourth-year Gryffindors following him with Silencing Charms on their feet. By the time he did, it was too ate, and he was pushed roughly against the wall.

“Well, well, look who we have here,” the first boy said. “It’s Harry Potter, the traitor who got into Slytherin.”

“Why, exactly, am I a traitor?” Harry asked. He should have known not to.

The boy who held him against the wall slammed him into it again.

“We know you’re trying to be the next Dark Lord. It’s why Slytherin hates you, you’re trying to take over from their master.” This sounded ridiculous to Harry, but he knew from experience that any excuse was a good excuse. “What should we do with him, boys?”

One kid, Harry notice, was looking at him rather funnily.

“I think we should show him what happens to traitors,” the one in back said.

The boys started nodding, and several of them moved forward.

But the didn’t get the chance. As it happens, another pair of Gryffindors were walking past, talking in hushed tones, when they happened to see a group of students harassing another.

“Oi, what do you think you’re doing!” one asked. The bullies looked over their shoulders and booked it in the opposite direction.

“Hey, are you all right?” said the other boy. Harry could see that they were the Weasley twins from the third-year class.

“I’m fine, thank you.” Harry made a point of brushing his robes off and gathering his things, keeping his face carefully blank.

“Here, let us help you with your stuff. I’m Fred, by the way, and this is George.” Together they gathered the fallen books and parchments, and handed them to the younger boy.

“We’ll walk you to class, so that doesn’t happen again. How does that sound,” George asked. Harry nodded to them and continued to the Potions classroom. “Hopefully Snape won’t give you too much trouble, but we know he usually favours the Slytherins.”

“What’s your name, anyhow?” Fred asked as they turned another corner.

“Harry Potter,” he said quietly, watching them from the corner of his eyes.

When they heard the name, they did a double take.

“Oh, you are! I didn’t recognize you,” Fred said.

“Well, here you are. You’re not too late,” George cut in.

“If you need anything –”

“– Don’t be afraid to ask!” They said.

And with that, they left Harry at the door to the room.

Harry opened the door, keeping his eyes down, and made his way across the room to an empty seat.

“Ah, Harry Potter. You think you are above the rules?” Professor Snape drawled. “The new celebrity doesn’t need to be on time for class, is that it?”

“No, sir,” Harry said as he set his things down. “I’m sorry for my tardiness.”

“No, but you will be. Tell me Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?” Professor Snape barked.

A girl on the Gryffindor side of the room shot her hand in the air. Harry thought to his potion book that he had been reading at the beginning of the week.

“Draught of Living Death, sir?”

“Is that a question or an answer, Potter,” Snape said with narrowed eyes.

“It’s an answer, sir,” Harry said in his quiet voice.

Professor Snape sneered.

“Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?”

Again, the Gryffindor’s hand was in the air, waving this time, as if trying to get Professor Snape to call on her. Snape ignored the hand and continued staring at Harry.

“I’m not certain, but I think it’s somewhere inside a goat, sir,” Harry said. He could feel the stares of the rest of the class on him, and could hear the snickers of the Slytherins behind him.

“Hmm, and what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?”

“There isn’t one, sir,” Harry said.

Professor Snape glanced around the room. “Why aren’t you all taking notes?” he sneered.

Severus stood at the front of the classroom, lecturing about the uses of potions, and how dangerous messing them up would be as the students took notes, but inside he was snarling at all things Potter.

Even though Albus wanted him to befriend the child, Severus didn’t think he could put up with Potter’s arrogance. The boy thought that everyone should cater to him, but Severus wasn’t going to put up with it. If the Headmaster wanted Severus to question the boy, he would do it his way.

And with that thought, Severus began his insults to the boy in front of the class. Digging to see what would goad the boy into action, so he could give him a detention. He didn’t know that his ridicule of the boy would have the effect that they did. Oh, he knew his Slytherins would take it to mean he didn’t like the boy, but his blatant hate for the boy was stopping rational thought of the consequences of his words.

And so, by the end of class, the first-years were itching to go inform their respective houses of the new information and Severus still hadn’t been able to give the boy a detention.

The only good thing that happened to Harry that day was when he discovered that Fred and George Weasley were waiting at the door for him to leave. They told him that they wanted to show him something, and so he followed them to a mirror on the fourth floor.

They stepped inside the secret room, which looked big enough to house more than half of the Slytherin students.

“We know you’ve been having some problems –”

“– and we want you to know that we’re on your side,” the twins said in that switch-off way they do.

“So, we’ve talked it over –”

“– and we’ve decided to give you this.”

“But you have to promise to keep it a secret.”

“We don’t want teachers to know that it exists.”

And with that final warning, Fred drew a think piece of parchment from his robe pocket. He handed it to Harry and exchanged a look with his twin.

After examining the parchment, Harry turned his eyes onto the Weasleys.

“So, what is it?” he asked. “You wouldn’t give it to me if it weren’t special somehow.”

“Right-o, Harry! This here is the secret to out success!”

“How we’ve been able to do what we do!

“The reason that our plans never fall flat!”

“This here is the Marauders Map!”

A/N: Sorry it took so long. I had an essay due in English class. Hope you like the new instalment.


	6. The Meeting and the Beast

The parchment lay on the bed, unsuspecting. After the twins had explained everything and Harry figured out quite a bit along the way, he used it to get back to the Slytherin common room so he could go unseen. Now blank paper on his covers, Harry thought of how helpful this would be to get to class, or to get food from the kitchens if he wanted to go for a walk.

Just as his mind filled with the possibilities, he heard a peck on the charmed window that used wizard-space to connect with the owlery and charms to make it seem as another plank of wood to everyone. Looking over he saw a tawny owl resting on the perch. Harry walked over to the window and opened it, letting the owl jump to his arm, and removed the piece of rolled up parchment from its leg.

Harry,  
I hope you are adjusting to the wizarding world alright. I was wondering if you would come to my office Saturday morning at 12 o’clock for a chat.  
A.D.  
Headmaster of Hogwarts

Although it was phrased as a request, the tone of the letter suggested that the Headmaster was ordering him to the meeting. Harry contemplated what this meant, and the only thing he could come up with was the fact that he was the Boy-Who-Lived. If that’s the case, Harry thought. Then that means the Headmaster wants to get on my good side for one of several reasons. One, he wants to use my fame for himself. Two, he thinks there is a threat out there, and since I already ‘defeated’ one Dark Lord, I might be trained for a figure head against another. Or three, he thinks that since I am in the serpent’s house, I am that threat he needs to stop.

But, he continued as he got ready for bed. All of these things will make him look better. If I train under him in the first two scenarios, then he gets to be looked at like a god. If he stops me before I turn ‘dark’, then he’s defeated another Dark wizard. With that final thought, Harry fell into slumber, thinking of what he wanted to say to Dumbledore when he saw him the next day.

Albus Dumbledore was extremely vexed. When he told Severus to make the boy talk to him, what happens? Severus uses it as an excuse to torment the boy. That was the wrong way to go about it!

But if Albus could use this as a way for Harry to get to trust him, then so be it. A little harsh words never hurt anyone, Albus thought.

In the back of his mind, a voice was saying that harsh words could lead someone to do something drastic, but he paid it no attention. It wasn’t as if Albus was a bad person. No, he was actually a great man. Not a good one, but a great one. He knew people had to be sacrificed, and no good man could deal with that on their conscience. But too often, Albus forgot that these were actual people, and got caught up in his mind games with other people. He knew Voldemort wasn’t gone, and he thought he knew why. There were several things that pointed towards a Horcrux. The murders, the lack of body that night in Godric’s Hollow, the lack of humanity that Tom had started to show his early years after Hogwarts. The only thing Albus couldn’t figure out was what the object was and where it was hidden.

His musing were interrupted by several professors walking in the staff room. While staff meeting didn’t happen every week, the first week was important to Albus. It was how he figured out which students were worth the effort.

“Ah, now that we’re all here, let’s get started,” the Headmaster said cheerfully. “You all know the drill: we go around teacher by teacher and to talk about which students need help, and which don’t. As usual, let’s start with Hufflepuff, them move in the direction of the house tables. Minerva, if you will.”

As expected, the Hufflepuffs were average. The upper years were doing well enough, and the younger ones were being helped. Even so, only about three or four students from the whole house showed any promise as great witches and wizards.

The Gryffindors were another story.

“Hermione Granger is one of the top students so far,” Minerva McGonagall said with pride in her voice. “I know it’s only been a week, but I think that she is going to do just fine during her time at Hogwarts.”

Severus scoffed at the praise, thinking of the bushy-haired girl.

“If you want to say something Severus, do so.” Everyone could hear the warning in Minerva’s voice, but Severus wasn’t perturbed in the slightest.

“She is a nuisance to the classroom,” he stated. Several teachers nodded behind McGonagall’s back. “She has no idea how to act appropriately in a learning environment, and she constantly has to be told to not answer questions meant for other students. Her constant need for approval is stopping other students from performing well in class.”

Minerva’s lips thinned as she listened to Severus’ rant.

“I’ll admit that she’s a little enthusiastic-”

“Oh, come now, Minerva! She literally bounces in her seat if you don’t call on her! And if you don’t pay her any attention, she shouts the answer out of turn,” Severus sneered. A couple of the other teachers started shaking their heads in confirmation. Minerva looked around the room, seeing that she was out-numbered.

“He’s right, Minny,” Filius said in his squeaky voice. “It’s rather hard to put up with her, and she tries to teach the other students. I normally wouldn’t mind, but she is just a first-year, and the way she goes about it is all wrong. She berates them instead of encouraging them.”

“Now, now,” Albus intervened. “There’s nothing wrong with a little help from your peers.”

The teachers around him looked at him in disbelief. Of course he would defend a Gryffindor.

“Percival Weasley is also quite up there,” Septima Vector said in her trilling voice.

They continued in this vein for quite a while. Moving from Gryffindor to Ravenclaw, mentioning quite a lot of names, more so than Gryffindor. Padma Patil was one, as was Penelope Clearwater. All of the Ravenclaw Prefects were mentioned, along with most of the upper years.

After Ravenclaw was finished, there was a tense silence. Nobody wanted to start the conversation, not even Severus, though for vastly different reasons.

Finally, Aurora Sinistra, a former Slytherin, had had enough.

“I think some of the seventh-year Slytherins have stepped up their game,” she said firmly, as if daring anyone to protest her. “I don’t know about how Flint is going to finish out the year, but the other Prefects have really take care of their work. The amount of complaints from them is down by far this year.” She paused, contemplating if she wanted to continue. Nodding to herself, she added, “I think it has to do with the addition of Harry Potter into their house.”

Utter silence. Inside, Aurora was cringing, but she kept her face free of her thoughts. She knew Severus had a problem with the boy, but he was taking it too far. She made sure to watch him in class during Astronomy, and although the others scorned him, he took it in stride and kept to his work.

“Yes,” Pomona Sprout said confidently. “He works hard, and in doing so, makes others want to succeed either with him or before him. Either way, he is a driving force in his house.”

“You should see how he does in Charms!” Filius said excitedly. “He usually gets it right on the first try! It’s wonderful to see him cast spells, and even though he waits a minute or too to read the theory, he still gets it faster than the rest of the class.”

Severus was gritting his teeth. That brat, always the centre of attention.

“He is abysmal at Potions,” Severus sneered. Although Severus says this, he admits to himself that the problem is because Potter always pairs himself with Neville Longbottom, and that boy ruins everything he touches. “He lacks the necessary tools to perform adequately.”

“He does well in Transfiguration,” Minerva said grudgingly. “He grasps the knowledge quickly enough, and studies the theory more than the other students.”

Quirinus Quirrell stayed silent during all of this. He kept his mind blank from thoughts, not letting his mind wander. He knew he needed to think carefully on this subject.

“He d-d-does well in D-d-defence,” Quirinus said. H-he helps o-o-others when they c-c-can-not. H-he is m-m-much b-better suited for h-h-helping others th-than M-miss Granger.”

Inside, Quirrell categorized the information he got from the other professors. His thoughts kept turning to the boy and how he looked in his classes. His face was completely blank, and when Quirrell tried to pry into his mind, he was met with a wall. Stunned, he had pulled out, his speech never faltering. But it sparked fear in his mind. What if this boy was stronger than he shows in class. If he was already able to close his mind with Occlumency, then what else could he perform?

The conversation on Harry Potter was troubling Albus as well. Before this conversation took place, he was considering to help Harry in order to bring him closer as to see what the boy was like, but if he was as advance as his professors said, then Harry wouldn’t accept any help. Albus was thinking of another boy who did well in class. He couldn’t separate Tom Riddle from Harry Potter. Although they were different in some key aspects, the similarities were starting to make Albus frightened. He knew he would have to help Harry towards a better future than Tom, but he couldn’t be the one to personally do that.

“That seems like a suitable end-point!” Albus said, hiding his fears from the group. “Silvanus, if you wanted to bring in that unicorn you were talking about earlier, I’m sure Rubius would be willing to help you. And Rolanda, the budget isn’t really enough to supply new brooms for the students. I’m sure what we have is more than enough to teach the students what they need to know. If there aren’t any more issues, I will be on my way. I have a meeting I have to get ready for.”

Leaving before anyone could protest, Albus walked toward his office, deep in thought.

He had to find a way to get Harry see different view of Muggles, other than what e grew up with. Albus knew that Petunia and her husband weren’t the best but he thought, wrongly, that Harry is Lily’s son and Petunia would remember that, even if Vernon was a bit of a bigot. A light in Dumbledore’s head lit up. He could bring in some of the other students that grew up with Muggles. Hermione Granger was a great candidate. Even if she wasn’t the best when it came to dealing with people, she was young and that could be excused for now. Dean Thomas, another Muggle-born, and in Gryffindor to boot.

Now that he had a plan, he walked with a bit of a bounce in his steps. And he had about thirty minutes before Harry would show up to his office. Maybe I should have Severus show him the way, he thought. No, that won’t do. I’ll have a house-elf deliver a message to a Prefect.

“I’m here to show you the way to the Headmaster’s office,” Gemma Farley said in a neutral tone. She didn’t dislike him, but she didn’t want to be targeted by the house if she went against them.

Harry followed her from the dungeons to a rather ugly gargoyle. Harry suspected that it required a password like the Slytherin common room.

“Candy Floss,” she said. Harry watched as the gargoyle leapt aside to reveal a spiral staircase. “Just go up that staircase and knock on the Headmaster’s door. I’ll leave you here.”

And with that, Farley walked away without a backwards glance. Harry slowly made his way up the stairs.

Knocking, and entering the room upon hearing the Headmaster’s voice say ‘Enter,’ Harry faced what had to be the oddest room he had ever seen. There were dozens of portraits that hung on the walls, and where there were no portraits, there were bookshelves. Large windows were dispersed throughout the room, as were delicate looking trinkets that whirred or emitted puffs of smoke at seemingly random intervals. Harry figured they were monitors for different things, as well as detectors for others.

“Ah, Harry, right on time. Good,” Professor Dumbledore said with a smile as he looked up from whatever he was writing. “We have much to talk about.”

Harry didn’t think they did, but he nodded his head anyway, and stood next to a comfortable looking purple chair.

“You may sit, Harry. Would you like some tea, perhaps?”

Sitting down, Harry said, “No, thank you, Headmaster. Is there something wrong, Headmaster? I mean, it’s pretty unusual for a first-year to be called here unless something has happened.”

Although Harry said this with a confused and concerned facial expression, he was trying to subtly point out that he was different from the other students. Not that he wanted to be, but if Professor Dumbledore was going to ‘suggest’ them talking for a bit, Harry wasn’t going to let him dictate the conversation.

“Not at all, my boy. Now,” Professor Dumbledore said, getting right to business. “You know that you are in a different situation than most of the students here. Being as well known as you are, and in the position you are in, I was thinking it would be beneficial for you to broaden which students you friends with.”

“What do you mean by this, Headmaster? Are you saying you are forcing me to hang out with students who aren’t in Slytherin?” Harry was shocked that the Headmaster would say things so bluntly to his face. Perhaps it was because he knew that most Slytherins would see his manipulations.

“Not exactly, Harry. I know that things can’t be easy for you in Slytherin being who you are, and although I like to believe the best in people, I can see the impact they have with the other children in regards to you. As such, you will be meeting with several students during the weekend so you may have a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on during tough times.” At this statement, Harry tensed a fraction. A listening ear? So Professor Dumbledore wanted to know what he would talk about with others while professors aren’t about? A Slytherin would never agree to this, so he had to have gotten either unsuspecting students like those in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor.

“And if I refuse, Headmaster? I can’t say I want to take time out of the essays I’ve acquired from classes. I want to be able to focus on my work so I can understand the material better.” Harry wasn’t lying per se. He wanted to very much, he just didn’t really need to.

“I’m afraid I must insist, Harry,” the Headmaster said, his eyes twinkling. Harry didn’t like how the Headmaster called him so familiarly.

“If you are forcing you hand, sir, then I will,” Harry said, knowing it would irk the Headmaster. “I can’t say that I will like it. It may give me a chance to meet some interesting people, but I highly doubt it.” There was a pause. “Is that everything, Headmaster?”

“No, Harry. I am glad you have agreed.” Harry almost scoffed at that, but kept his face a polite expression. “I have one more thing I wanted to ask you. I was wondering what the hat said to you, when you put it on.”

“I’m sorry, Headmaster, but that is a rather person question. I’m afraid I can’t answer that,” Harry said. Feeling annoyed that the Headmaster had the gal to ask that, he inquired, “Do you question all students on this matter or is there a reason you did so with me?”

“I’m sorry, Harry, I have overstepped my boundaries,” he said, completely ignoring Harry’s inquiry as to his motives. He was more than a little peeved that he didn’t get as far as he wanted with Harry, but he really didn’t expect much more that this to begin with. “The first meeting with your peers will be tomorrow at 2. That gives you plenty of time to eat before hand. That is all, Harry, I hope you have a wonder rest of the day.”

Taking that as a dismissal, Harry stood and left the Headmaster’s office. He didn’t want to go back to his dorm, and so headed to the grounds outside. It was a nice day, and he hadn’t had time for much lounging around lately, and the last time he actually went outside was when he was working on Petunia’s garden.

He sat in the grass, soaking up the warm rays of the sun. He could see Hagrid talking with the Care of Magical Creatures professor, Kettleburn. It looked as if they were trying to bring an animal from the Forbidden Forest. Harry could see a glow coming from whatever was with them. When Hagrid stepped aside, Harry thought his eyes would pop out.

Standing with them was one of the most beautiful animals he had ever seem. It was bright-white in colour, so bright it made everything near it look dull, and Harry could see that it’s hooves were the colour of gold. The beast reared it’s head, nearly gouging Hagrid in the chest. When it calmed down a bit, it looked over the land that separated it and Harry, staring him strait in the eye.


End file.
